Calling Swamp People "death entertainment that continues to demonize reptiles as monsters and animals that are okay to torture and kill", Monaghan adds, "If alligator populations need to be controlled, I understand. But the act should not be glorified on TV. Disgusting."

He's absolutely right! It IS disgusting, and it needs to be stopped, ASAP.

It seems his time with Treebeard has rubbed off on good 'ole Merry, fighting for living creatures as he is. Perhaps he could recruit some Ents to stomp the "Swamp People" set? "Not tall, but broad and grim...wielding great axes. Out of some savage land in the wide East they come, we deem."

Honestly, I think all reality shows should get off air. of Swamp People isn't the only reality show that glorifies something negative. Jersey Shore, Toddlers in Tiaras, Real Housewives of [insert city here], and all the reality shows that MTV, History Channel, TLC etc show. I'm sorry but there are some really sucky reality shows out there that just convey negativity. Dom is right. Alligators may have to have the population control, but the hunting and killing of them shouldn't be glorified on TV. What will they do next? Show the killing of other animals, and then humans on TV? That's nuts. This is why I don't watch TV much.

Honestly, I think all reality shows should get off air. of Swamp People isn't the only reality show that glorifies something negative. Jersey Shore, Toddlers in Tiaras, Real Housewives of [insert city here], and all the reality shows that MTV, History Channel, TLC etc show.

Not to mention that the History Channel is supposed to be about history

Also, Jersey Shore should have been titled "A Bunch of Idiots Who Happen to Hang Out on the Jersey Shore." That show was a disservice to the great U.S. state that I live in.

Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville

Whether you agree with him or not, I'm so impressed and proud of his passion.

In this case, I completely agree with him. If you witness something you believe is wrong, could you walk away without doing anything you could to stop it? If you have an opportunity to make a difference in something you believe in, would you? Dom doesn't just talk about being an animal/nature lover, he's an advocate who acts. I respect him so much.

I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.

All televisions come with remote controls to turn off or change the channel.
[In reply to]

Can't Post

"Alligators may have to have the population control, but the hunting and killing of them shouldn't be glorified on TV. What will they do next? Show the killing of other animals, and then humans on TV?" Why is there a deer season? Because there are too many and people enjoy hunting and eating the meat. Don't participate or watch hunting shows...there are hundreds of other channels.

Fishing and hunting shows have been on television for decades. Alligators are no different from any other game animal. Alligators are not people. But, there are plenty of historical shows and daily news that broadcast the effects of war, murder, mayhem.

Sure, I understand some people do not like such shows and that they consider there to be too much junk programming...however...television is driven by ratings so if people enjoy such shows they will remain on television. Once again, freedom to choose your viewing is in your control. Why concern yourself over what other people enjoy? The same goes for reading material or movies.

"The goals of LDWF’s wild alligator harvest program are to manage and conserve Louisiana’s alligators as part of the state’s wetland ecosystem, provide benefits to the species, its habitat and the other species of fish and wildlife associated with alligators. The basic philosophy was to develop a sustained use management program which, through regulated harvest, would provide long term benefits to the survival of the species, maintain its habitats, and provide significant economic benefits to the citizens of the state. "

I just think this is a case of someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. It's a season like hunting deer is around here in Missouri. If you do it outside of that you get in trouble. These people turn this hunting season into their job and make decent enough money. If they were actually commuting a crime then he'd have a point, but he's going off on something he lacks understanding in I'd say.

Humans are on top for a reason and can responsibly manage resources.
[In reply to]

Can't Post

If you recall The Lion King - it is the cycle of life - it is natural. Humans are just as much a part of nature as deer and alligators.

The point of Dominic's story is that he does not like to witness the harvesting but is fine with the culling in theory. Ok, don't watch it. Alligators are no longer a threatened species. And believe me, they could care less if you don't like being eaten by them.

Too many deer because humans have wiped out wolves and other predators and have planted plentiful grain and other crops that promote exploding populations. Such density increases disease and can lead to massive starvation and kill off. Hunting helps keep the population in balance with the resources.

Arm the deer - funny but irrelevant ...the natural world does not behave as a Disney movie.

I said the same thing years ago to a dad of a girl I was dating. They were both big hunters and I jokingly said hunting isn't a sport since the seers don't get to have guns. He didn't find it funny. lol

Dom's rallying against the inhumane way in which the alligators are treated/killed
[In reply to]

Can't Post

and the glorification of violence against animals in general.

I really don't think anyone needs to be educated other than perpetrators of animal cruelty, of which this show is a poster child.

I haven't even seen an episode, but the imagery of Alligators being tracked and abused is prominent in the advertising.

EDIT: Look at this episode, just for example. Animals are going to be culled or used for food. That's a reality of life. THIS is just awful. My Top 5 Wish List for "The Hobbit"5. Legolas will surf down Smaug's neck 4. Bilbo will be revealed to a Robot 3. Naked PJ cameo as Ghan-Buri-Ghan 2. Use of not only 3D, but smell-o-vision, plus the inclusion of axes coming out of the seats and poking the audience when appropriate 1. Not only keep the claim that Thorin & Co. ran amok in Mirkwood "molesting people", but depict said incident in vivid detail!!!!!

I lived there for five years. Along the main roads were signs guiding to the south of the island, referred to as "down-island", and the north, not surprisingly, as "up-island". The running joke was that tourists would trundle around MV asking people the way to "Upis Land". My Top 5 Wish List for "The Hobbit"5. Legolas will surf down Smaug's neck 4. Bilbo will be revealed to a Robot 3. Naked PJ cameo as Ghan-Buri-Ghan 2. Use of not only 3D, but smell-o-vision, plus the inclusion of axes coming out of the seats and poking the audience when appropriate 1. Not only keep the claim that Thorin & Co. ran amok in Mirkwood "molesting people", but depict said incident in vivid detail!!!!!

Obviously we disagree which brings me back to several points:
[In reply to]

Can't Post

Use your remote. A well placed shot to the head is not inhumane. Sometimes it takes several as alligators have a very small brain protected by a very hard skull. Buying your meat in the store or from the butcher required the killing of a farm raised animal. Fish are caught every day on a hook or in nets and are then gutted and cleaned. Dominic thinks the animals are being treated cruelly and exploited. Tell me a better way to cull alligators. Of course the alligator is "exploited" for meat, hide, etc. because there is a commercial interest linked to the conservation interest.

As stated before, it's the aggrandizement of violence against animals that Dom seems to have a problem with (and with which I agree). Showing people violently shooting alligators, grabbing them and violently wrestling them into the boat, ETC, is different from theoretically stating that alligators are going to be hunted and culled; I'm aware that the act of hunting is violent, but glorifying it and attempting to get into as many encounters with the alligators as possible, and their expense, for show content and ratings is the problem IMO.

As for a better way to cull alligators...how about 'gator farms? Capture the alligators one's going to cull, keep the population under control through farming, and if you have to put an alligator down, do it painlessly (as opposed to running the possibility of it taking several shots to the head). My Top 5 Wish List for "The Hobbit"5. Legolas will surf down Smaug's neck 4. Bilbo will be revealed to a Robot 3. Naked PJ cameo as Ghan-Buri-Ghan 2. Use of not only 3D, but smell-o-vision, plus the inclusion of axes coming out of the seats and poking the audience when appropriate 1. Not only keep the claim that Thorin & Co. ran amok in Mirkwood "molesting people", but depict said incident in vivid detail!!!!!

Like pornography, we know exploitation when we see it. The hunting culture and population control does not justify making it entertainment on TV. Why don't we put human death sentences on Pay Per View?

Ok, you capture thousands of gators and do what with them? Who is going to pay for the land and costs? Who is going to capture an alligator for nothing? If you put one down...what do you do with it? If you are going to harvest the meat and hide you wont be using a medication to put it down. Cows & pigs are put down with a shot to the head...a mechanical bolt knocker, electroshock, gunshot, asphyxiation..which of course should be done humanely and there is room for improvement.

Alligators, fish, deer, pheasants, etc. are not people and therein seems to be the difference between us. Is an alligator of greater standing than a bass? How about a chicken? Or a cow?

Just because people don't like to see where their food comes from reflects the loss of connection to nature as they live in modern, urban areas where the food magically appears in stores in attractive packaging. Heaven forbid some people ever have to fend for themselves...while some are eating roots of unknown plants others will have a fire with fish or fowl...don't come around begging.

People who enjoy hunting & fishing have every right to view shows that cover those topics.

I understand not everyone does...so don't watch. Celebrities need public causes for PR purposes. Hypocrisy is the rule.

about critiquing environmental measures in another country: As much as you care for a particular animal, a person can not understand all of the relevant factors if you don't live in that country or community. The important think is that a cull or long-term management are under the auspices of an agency that is professionally run and has its own checks and balances.

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

"Alligators, fish, deer, pheasants, etc. are not people and therein seems to be the difference between us."
[In reply to]

Can't Post

Yes, quite. However, the fact that they're not people doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned (I'm not sure what relevance an alligator's "value" as compared to other life forms has concerning this series, since it's not "Pheasant Smashers". ) But, I will point out it's much easier to get away with this sort of programming with things which are scaly, with big teeth and lack of cuddle factor. Would "Stray Cat Annihilation" stay on the air this long?

Their slaughter and, yes, abuse as evident in the episode I posted (alligators being bodily ripped out of the water, ETC), is NOT fodder for capitalization, as Dom has argued. It's animal torture porn; the fact that hunting and culling occur regardless doesn't mean it's fodder for entertainment.

I'm not sure that the "rights" of viewers who like watching this sort of thing really stand up the alligators' right to not be hunted and killed for a TV series (how many of these are actually used for meat or hide...many more are used for the capture of footage, undoubtedly). To clarify that last point: the show most likely causes more alligators to be hunted/killed than if it did not exist.

I think JWPlatt summed it up quite succinctly.

As for paying for a prospective alligator farm...how about using the number already in existence? In expansion of these farms is needed, perhaps the producers of "Swamp People" could shell out some of their funds? My Top 5 Wish List for "The Hobbit"5. Legolas will surf down Smaug's neck 4. Bilbo will be revealed to a Robot 3. Naked PJ cameo as Ghan-Buri-Ghan 2. Use of not only 3D, but smell-o-vision, plus the inclusion of axes coming out of the seats and poking the audience when appropriate 1. Not only keep the claim that Thorin & Co. ran amok in Mirkwood "molesting people", but depict said incident in vivid detail!!!!!

Just because people don't like to see where their food comes from reflects the loss of connection to nature as they live in modern, urban areas where the food magically appears in stores in attractive packaging. Heaven forbid some people ever have to fend for themselves...

Agreed!

But...

...the end of civilization as we know it has long been prepared for by survivalists. It hasn't come yet. LOL. Our civilization fulfills and supports the lower levels of self-actualization so that we may pursue the higher levels of human achievement.

...I don't like exploitation of violent imagery for entertainment purposes. There have been a great many cautionary tales written by futurists on this theme.